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St. Ann
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One of my New Years' Resolutions is to pray the Rosary daily.
So far so good. 
I did not grow up praying the Rosary, so I have no long term history with this prayer form. I have prayed it occasionally throughout my adult life and now want to establish a praying tradition for myself. (does this make sense???)
While praying questions come up regarding the FORM.
1. Should I sit, stand or kneel?
2. Pray aloud or silently or whispering?
3. Pray exclusively or while driving or ironing....?
4. Should I attach certain prayers to the end of the Rosary? ex: St. Michaels...
I know that many of you have been praying the Rosary for a long time and are able to say that a certain tradition of it exists in your families. I would be very thankful if you would share what works best for you. There is probably no "right" answer to my questions, what works for one may not work for another. I am asking anyway just to gather some 2nd hand expierience here.
Thanks
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Stephanie
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Martha
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okay.. as a convert - I'm in a similiar boat as you.
As a mom of many, my body equates stillness with sleep. It is not at all unusual for me to nod off during rosary under just about any circumstances. So embarrassing. 
The rosary is the perfect bedtime serenade.
And I have 6 boys. 6 active boys who view stillness, AND quiet AND repetion as torture. 
By no means would I call my methods orthodox. But I don't think it's heresy either.
So. We started doing "Marching Rosaries" as we call them awhile back. Sometimes daily. Sometimes weekly. At least on first Fridays.
They line up behind me single file. And we "march" around the house. I shout out and they repeat. Just like a military drill.
"Hail Mary!
Full of Grace!"
ect...
I have a friend who like to do it as a story at bedtime with her dd telling the tale, which I think is very charming, but would take a good 3 hours to finish in my house.  It's kind of a colorful spriptural rosary, only the story continues between each Hail Mary.
"Mary was in the garden picking flowers for the dinner table and all of the sudden Gabriel came and told her....
Hail Mary ....."
BTW, my dc know this is not the standard rosary format they should use at church, just in case anyone is worried about that. 
ETA: I know you didn't ask about doing it with the kids, but I have found I do best in my own faith when I attach it to developing the kids faith. I might slack off on myself, but I rarely risk theirs.
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Ruth
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Hi Stephanie,
What a wonderful resolution you have made. Our Blessed Mother will help you with it.
I pray the Rosary, silently, in the mornings around 6:30 when everyone is still in bed, including my husband. I pray the 5 Sorrowful mysteries for my husband's intentions, while kneeling. I feel it's a good way to do some penance. I pray 5 Joyful mysteries for everyone else in my prayer list, but I usually just sit down for these. The kids and I pray 5 more decades for our family just before we start school. It's a great way to begin our day. We usually sit for that one, although our priest told me I should have them kneel, at least during Lent and Advent.
I don't think there is a specific way to pray. You just try and meditate on the mysteries, which leads me to a wonderful book I use while praying the Rosary. It's called, Rosary Album, and it is beautiful. There is a drawing for each Hail Mary, incliding the Litany of our Lady on top of the page. It really helps me meditate. It brings my thought back to the Rosary when I get distracted by other thoughts.
I usually pray the Rosary in the van when I'm driving alone, but when the kids are with me on a long drive, we pray it together. It think it's wonderful to pray while driving. I don't use a Rosary while driving, though. I also try and say it when I can't sleep, but I usually fall asleep before I finish it.
Here is a prayer we say after the Rosary.
O God, whose only-begotten Son, by his life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for use the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
I hope this helps a little bit. I'm sure you'll get lots of wonderful advive, and I'm looking forward to reading them.
Thanks for posting such a great question. God bless you.
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Rachel May
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I've also added new prayers and devotions as an adult (most notably daily mass). I think that's a normal part of our spiritual growth, right? I like to pray the rosary while I'm running or swimming laps. If I get 5 decades prayed in one day, I feel pretty happy.
When I started praying the rosary myself, I did the most basic form, and then added extra prayers and songs and meditations as I learned them from friends or people I prayed with.
I like the idea of praying the Rosary as a family, but for my little ones I think 5 decades a day would be a burden. Our plan is to do just a decade a day together, but we haven't started yet.
Good luck!
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St. Ann
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Martha, Ruth and Rachel (such holy names you have!)
Thank you all for your input and support.
I must admit that most of the time I have been praying with my feet up on the couch in a very comfortable position. Not very penatential! I have a Rosary CD from the Mary Foundation that I have used in the car while driving, but even with the help of the CD I found myself not able to concentrate so well, because I was concentrating more on my driving (thank God!) I am not a talented multi-tasker!
I also find it helpful to have a Rosary book with pictures. I have one with all 4 mysteries from Amy Welborn. I also noticed that I tend to nod off if I don't at least whisper the prayers.
With time I am sure that I will find a way to pray the Rosary which will delight Our Lady. Right now I am taking baby steps in that direction.
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kristina
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Martha - how clever that your six boys 'march' the rosary. I know firsthand how challenging it can be to settle a bunch of little boys down and keep them focused.
Stephanie - I am a convert, but I have grown in devotion to our Blessed Mother more with each passing year.
Since, I fall asleep, too, if I pray the rosary before bed. I try to offer decades during my daily activities and often with rosary audios while driving. We usually pray a decade at evening prayer, when everyone is kneeling. Also, our parish offers a rosary after the midweek evening mass for Prolife intentions. I have been staying to pray along with my "dates" (usually one or two of our sons) for mass. We kneel then, too. Our boys pray this best, perhaps there are less "near occasions to sin" when they are not in their own home with all of their siblings. However, they often lose track of which bead they are on. They sometimes pray at the computer. Sounds strange, but with Virtual Rosary, which is a free download, they keep track of the beads just fine.
Blessings,
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Cay Gibson
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St. Ann wrote:
One of my New Years' Resolutions is to pray the Rosary daily.
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Us too. 
I'm combining it with my 9-yr-olds request to learn Cajun French.
I just posted what we're using to ensure we are successful with both goals: Le Chapelet
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doris
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Cay Gibson wrote:
St. Ann wrote:
One of my New Years' Resolutions is to pray the Rosary daily.
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Us too.
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Me too! (There's something going on!)
Just to keep me humble, I must say that I've failed already, but on the other hand am praying it much more than I would without the resolution. Tonight we added one decade to the children's bedtime prayers. They were clamouring for more, we sensed meltdown round the corner, and have told them that they can have a second decade as a treat once they can do one really well
Back to the original question, I don't have any particular posture that I favour. Actually, anything that's not going to distract me from the saying itself will do. I really need to say it out loud, not silently. I always end with 'Hail, holy queen'.
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Helen
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Stephanie, here are a few older threads regarding the Rosary. None really duplicate your question, but they might be helpful for you:
praying a scriptural Rosary
Here's a thread with links to CDs to help pray the Rosary
Teaching the Rosary thread
Books for studying the Rosary
Ways to pray the Rosary with Children
Link for Latin Rosary with real player
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Could someone lead me through a decade in writing or direct me to a site with it written out
I am learning here and feeling somewhat embarrassed BUT know you all will be able to help me in a kind way. I call "my" decade, an Our Father followed by 10 Hail Mary's
(counted on my fingers) and close with an Our Father then...what do I miss?
Thanks,
Anne
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Helen
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Hi Anne,
I'm so happy to answer your question:
Here's an EWTN link
Yes, you are absolutely right
One Our Father
Ten Hail Mary's
Then a Glory be to the Father
(Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and will be forever, Amen.)
(Did I say that correctly?)
Often the Rosary decade ends with a prayer Our Lady asked for at Fatima
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to heaven especially those in most need of your mercy.
I really like the Ewtn Fatima site You can read more about the origin of the Fatima prayer there.
May the Lord reward you for asking your question!
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Mrs.K
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It is so lovely to read everyone's respones-like a mini 'lovliness of the rosary' fair. From marching with boys to praying on your knees - every one of you is so inspiring! Thank you all for sharing - it is beautiful to read of these Real rosary pray-ers!
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alicegunther
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So very, very true Mrs. K!
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| Posted: Jan 09 2007 at 5:42am | IP Logged
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Ahhhh, yes, the Glory be....thanks Helen! Now I will do it correctly.
Anne
Helen wrote:
Hi Anne,
I'm so happy to answer your question:
Here's an EWTN link
Yes, you are absolutely right
One Our Father
Ten Hail Mary's
Then a Glory be to the Father
(Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and will be forever, Amen.)
(Did I say that correctly?)
Often the Rosary decade ends with a prayer Our Lady asked for at Fatima
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to heaven especially those in most need of your mercy.
I really like the Ewtn Fatima site You can read more about the origin of the Fatima prayer there.
May the Lord reward you for asking your question! |
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Lissa
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I didn't dare to make it a resolution, but we started off the new year with a new tradition inspired by Helen's tea-time prayer post. I had never thought of combining family prayer with afternoon tea before. Helen is, in my opinion, a genius. Her idea has utterly revitalized our prayer life.
Around three in the afternoon, I make some hot chocolate and gather the girls around the table. We had fallen so far out of our Rosary habit that I decided to start with just two decades a day, and we'll work back up to five. The simple addition of the hot chocolate has worked wonders at keeping them focused on prayer. That seems counter-intuitive but it has really worked. We also light a candle. I'd like to get pictures to display for each mystery; I think that might help with the meditation.
I'm so grateful to Helen for the idea!
Oh, and as for my personal Rosary time, I was extremely blessed to be given a beautiful Rosary bracelet by a wonderful friend. I wear it all the time so that I can pray my Rosary throughout the day, taking advantage of all those little still spaces that come fleetingly amid the bustle.
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JennGM
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Lissa wrote:
| Oh, and as for my personal Rosary time, I was extremely blessed to be given a beautiful Rosary bracelet by a wonderful friend. I wear it all the time so that I can pray my Rosary throughout the day, taking advantage of all those little still spaces that come fleetingly amid the bustle. |
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Oh, a little light bulb went off for me! I rarely have pockets and so don't keep a rosary with me, but a bracelet, what a marvelous, marvelous way to have it one me at all times!
Recommendations for nice ones anyone?
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Oh, and Lissa...do you drink the hot chocolate DURING the rosary?
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Lissa
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Yes. We sit at the table and say the prayers while sipping the chocolate. It sounds less reverent than praying on your knees, but instead, for my gang, the level of reverence increased dramatically. Gone is the fidgeting and shifting. Gone the distractions. I don't expect it will last forever (it has only been one week), but right now I am elated by the quiet, attentive atmosphere.
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jdostalik
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Lissa wrote:
| Yes. We sit at the table and say the prayers while sipping the chocolate. It sounds less reverent than praying on your knees, but instead, for my gang, the level of reverence increased dramatically. Gone is the fidgeting and shifting. Gone the distractions. I don't expect it will last forever (it has only been one week), but right now I am elated by the quiet, attentive atmosphere. |
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Lissa,
We pray our Rosary at night with dh, but this could definitely work for us as I have been wanting to start praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet or special novenas in the afternoon at tea/snack time--this could definitely work for my motley crew!!
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Helen
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Lissa wrote:
The simple addition of the hot chocolate has worked wonders at keeping them focused on prayer. |
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WHat a great way to focus on Our Lady as
our life,
our sweetness
and our hope!
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Ave Maria!
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: praying the Rosary
